"Two of the world's most acclaimed pianists" says the sticker on the front of this CD's packaging. While that is true, that doesn't necessarily mean this recording of Brahms works for two pianos is worthy of acclaim.
Emanuel Ax and
Yefim Bronfman both are chamber musicians as well as solo artists, but the ensemble work here is not like that of a regular duo piano team. There are many spots throughout both the Sonata in F minor, Op. 34b, and the Haydn Variations where chords or other elements just are not together. This is not as noticeable in the Sonata's Scherzo, with all the syncopation going on, but it is in slower passages. There is also an inconsistency of control in the second movement of the Sonata. Sometimes the subordinate voices are quiet and feel subordinated, sometimes they are almost as loud as the main voice and disrupt the overall phrasing. As for the Variations, there are other, more thoughtfully shaped performances available. It is as if
Ax and
Bronfman are going by their initial instincts for the feel of each variation and not giving more careful consideration to their musical expression. The fugue in the finale is another place where the two cannot seem to decide which voice or voices should be brought out (not to mention the hiccuping triplets). It is not quite as though
Ax and
Bronfman are fighting for supremacy, but more that they haven't taken the time to look at the music as an ensemble. Lastly, the two works together barely equal an hour of music on a full-priced CD. It could have easily been filled out with the five Waltzes, Op. 39, that Brahms arranged for two pianos, plus a couple of the Hungarian Dances for one piano, four hands. This is great music, and
Ax and
Bronfman are obviously passionate about it, but neither of those facts make this a great performance.